Small Town Mayors

The Spanish word for Mayor is "Alcalde" and this system is so much different than ours that sometimes I don't even connect those two words in my mind. I see an Alcalde as a community leader. He and his buddies (not sure what their job titles are) show up to inaugurations, celebrations, town social events, etc. It is always all men and they are very important within the community. They wear suits and carry around those long walking sticks/scepters/pieces of wood. Here they are giving a long speech at the inauguration of two new classrooms at one of the schools where I worked.